For the June quarter 2004, there were 189 disputes, 2 more than in the March quarter 2004.

The number of employees involved in industrial disputes increased from 45,200 in the March quarter 2004 to 64,700 in the June quarter 2004.

There were 152,900 working days lost due to industrial disputation in the June quarter 2004, an increase of 72,500 from the March quarter 2004.

The Education and Health and community services industries accounted for 98,500 (64%) of the total number of working days lost in the June quarter 2004. These industries also accounted for the highest number of working days lost per thousand employees (61.1) for the quarter.

In the June quarter 2004, NSW accounted for 113,300 (74%) of working days lost. NSW also had the highest number of working days lost per thousand employees (40.8) for the quarter.

YEAR ENDED ESTIMATES

During the year ended June 2004, there were 716 disputes, 13 more than in the year ended June 2003.

During the year ended June 2004, there were 550,900 working days lost, 306,200 more than in the year ended June 2003.

Working days lost

JUNE QUARTER 2004 KEY FIGURES

Quarter

Year ended

March Quarter 2004

June Quarter 2004

June 2003

June 2004

Number of disputes

Commenced in period (no.)

177

174

681

703

Total (no.)

187

189

703

716

Employees involved

Newly involved ('000)

r44.6

62.9

128.6

326.7

Total ('000)

r45.2

64.7

133.9

330.2

Working days lost ('000)

r80.4

152.9

244.7

550.9

r revised

TABLES

1. Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter

Number of disputes

Employees involved

Commenced in period

Total

Newly involved

Total

Working days lost

no.

no.

'000

'000

'000

June Quarter 2002

188

205

39.9

41.4

63.4

September Quarter 2002

218

240

35.6

40.9

53.4

December Quarter 2002

181

198

37.7

41.1

69.6

March Quarter 2003

153

162

29.2

30.1

66.3

June Quarter 2003

129

141

26.2

29.7

55.5

September Quarter 2003

180

193

104.4

107.9

166.2

December Quarter 2003

172

187

114.9

116.3

151.5

March Quarter 2004

177

187

r44.6

r45.2

r80.4

June Quarter 2004

174

189

62.9

64.7

152.9

r revised

2. Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, Industry

March Quarter 2004

June Quarter 2004

Working days lost

Working days lost per thousand employees

Working days lost

Working days lost per thousand employees

'000

'000

Mining

Coal mining

0.7

31.5

0.3

16.5

Other

5.7

71.3

0.4

5.2

Manufacturing

Metal product; Machinery and equipment

4.8

13.0

6.6

18.0

Other

7.0

11.2

5.1

7.8

Construction

r26.8

r51.2

25.2

46.1

Transport and storage; Communication services

3.9

7.4

11.6

21.4

Education; Health and community services

24.5

15.8

98.5

61.1

Other industries

7.0

1.5

5.2

1.1

All industries

r80.4

r9.7

152.9

18.2

r revised

3. Industrial disputes which occurred during the quarter, States and territories

March Quarter 2004

June Quarter 2004

Working days lost

Working days lost per thousand employees

Working days lost

Working days lost per thousand employees

'000

'000

New South Wales

r12.8

4.6

113.3

40.8

Victoria

r41.8

r19.9

17.3

8.2

Queensland

6.0

3.8

4.9

3.0

South Australia

4.9

8.1

1.5

2.4

Western Australia

r14.7

r17.7

14.3

16.9

Tasmania

0.3

1.7

0.1

0.4

Northern Territory

-

-

1.1

11.9

Australian Capital Territory

-

-

0.4

2.2

Australia

r80.4

r9.7

152.9

18.2

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

r revised

4. Industrial disputes which ended during the quarter (a)

December Quarter 2003

March Quarter 2004

Number of disputes

Employees involved

Working days lost

Number of disputes

Employees involved

Working days lost

no.

'000

'000

no.

'000

'000

CAUSE OF DISPUTE

Enterprise Bargaining (EB) related

Remuneration

23

16.4

34.3

r10

r8.1

r15.6

Employment conditions (EB)

8

9.1

44.3

r9

r9.2

r56.5

Other EB related

12

2.3

5.2

r6

r0.5

r1.0

Non-EB related

Remuneration

10

1.5

2.5

r12

1.9

r1.6

Employment conditions

7

1.6

0.9

6

0.6

0.6

Health and safety

46

9.2

11.9

r60

r10.5

r14.8

Job security

10

1.7

15.6

13

2.7

3.9

Managerial policy

33

6.6

15.8

35

r6.2

r12.2

Union issues

10

1.4

0.9

r14

r2.6

r3.5

Non EB related

18

69.3

54.8

7

4.7

5.5

Total

177

119.2

186.4

r172

r46.8

r115.0

WORKING DAYS LOST PER EMPLOYEE INVOLVED

Up to and including 1 day

90

70.2

48.2

r99

r20.6

r14.4

Over 1 day and up to including 2 days

43

32.4

36.6

r37

r10.8

r14.2

Over 2 and less than 5 days

25

13.6

58.6

r27

r5.7

r16.0

5 and less than 10 days

11

2.4

15.7

np

9.5

61.4

10 days and over

8

0.6

27.3

np

r0.2

r9.0

Total

177

119.2

186.4

r172

r46.8

r115.0

REASON WORK RESUMED

Negotiation without intervention of a third party

31

3.8

17.6

r20

r11.9

r57.9

State legislation

9

0.5

1.5

r19

r3.1

r3.9

Federal legislation

16

13.3

22.6

r25

4.6

r8.4

Pre-determined return to work

35

31.6

34.0

r25

r14.5

r22.3

Resumption without negotiation

72

67.5

89.8

r69

r11.2

r15.1

Mediation

8

1.9

3.6

14

1.5

7.4

Other reasons

6

0.6

17.2

-

-

-

Total

177

119.2

186.4

r172

r46.8

r115.0

- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)

np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated

r revised

(a) See Explanatory Notes, paragraph 12

NOTES

INTRODUCTION

This publication presents quarterly statistics on industrial disputes in Australia, obtained from the Industrial Disputes collection.

REVISIONS

Revisions have been made to the quarterly series as a result of disputes being identified after the release of the previous issue and as a result of correcting errors in previously reported data.

INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Peta Sheehan on Perth (08) 9360 5159. As well as the statistics included in this publication, other data from the Industrial Disputes collection are available either as time series spreadsheets (see links below) or, on request, as customised reports. If you wish to discuss individual requests please telephone Peta Sheehan.